Circulating whipstock



April 1e, 1968 Filed July 29, 1966 L. R. LEISSLER CIRCULATING WHIPSTOCK 2 Sheets-Snee 2 @e e/JJ /v1 INVENTOR.

United States Patent O 3,373,037 Cil-ICULATING WHEPSTCK Lee Ross Leissler, Wichita Falls, Tex., assigner to J. S. Cochran, Sr. Filed July 29, 1966, Ser. No. 563,838 7 Claims. (Cl. IHS-33) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A circulating whipstock in which a rotatably actuated valve is provided to alternately supply fluid between the whipstocl; and the drill bit. A rotatable clutch connected between the pipe and the bit allowing a rotative slip movement equal in amount to the rotative movement required to rotate the rotary valve from alternately supplying tluid between the whipstoc.; and the pipe. A rotary valve having shiitable sealing balls for alternately opening and closing ports between the drill pipe and the whipstock and drill bit. A spacer screw connected to the whipstock collar and extending inwardly towards the pipe and acting on a flat surface on the pipe initially positioned in the drill collar to allow rotation of the whipstock without shearing the holding shear pin.

The present invention relates to a circulatingvvhipstock assembly in which circulation is alternately provided between the lower end of the whipstock and the drill bit.

A whipstock is normally releasably secured to a drill pipe and drill bit by a shear pin and is used to deflect the path of the drill bit so as to change the direction of the well bore. 1t has long been recognized that it is advantageous to have circulation out of a Huid passageway leading to the lower end of the whipstocl: as the whipstock is lowered into the well bore so that the well bore may be cleaned and the whipstock properly oriented and set in the bore. After the whipstock is set a downward force on the drill pipe will shear the pin and release the drill pipe and bit from the whipstock and the drill bit will move downwardly to commence drilling. At that time it is desirable to close oil the circulation out of the lower end of the whipstock and circulate the drill huid through the drill bit. This operation is conventional and one way of changing the flow of fluid is illustrated in Patent No. 2,965,182.

Summary The present invention is directed to providing7 a rotary valve in a circulating whipstock to supply fluid from a drill pipe alternately between passageways to the whipstock and the drill bit.

t is the general object of the present invention to provide an improvement in a valve mechanism in a circulating whipstock assembly for supplying fluid from the drill pipe alternately to the passageway in the whipstock and to the drill bit.

It is still a further object or" the present invention to provide a valve mechanism in a whipstock assembly which can be rotatably actuated to alternately apply lluid to the wliipstock and to the drill bit and in which a rotatable clutch is provided which allows shifting of the Valve mechanism from one position to the other.

Still a further object of the present invention is the provision of a valve mechanism having a first valve port in "ice communication between the drill pipe and the whipstock and a second valve port in communication between the drillpipe and the drill bit with one end of the ports positioned non-axially relative to the pipe in which a rotatable valve port closure means is provided for alternately opening one of the ports and closing the other port, and in which a rotatable clutch is provided having limits of travel to allow rotative movement of the valve closure means for alternately supplying drill fluid to the two ports and yet transmit rotative torque to the drill pipe at the limits of travel.

Yet a still further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved valve mechanism for alternately supplying drill fluid to the whipstock and to the drill bit in which a rotatable clutch is provided for allowing rotation of the valve closure means and in which a shearable locking pin is provided between the clutch and the whipstc-ck initially to prevent accidental change of circulation, and in which the rotatable clutch is spaced from the iluid passageways in the exterior of the pipe s0 as to prevent debris from blocking the clutch.

Yet a still further object of the present invention is the provision of an improvement in the valve mechanism for supp-lying drill lluid alternately to a circulating whipstock and the drill bit wherein the whipstock is releasably connected to the pipe by a shear pin by providing a holding screw which mates with a flat surface on the exterior of the drill pipe for allowing rotational movement of the whipstock without prematurely shearing the shear pin and which also serves to aid in sealing Olip the port to the whipstock.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, given for the purpose of disclosure, and taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where like character references designate like parts throughout the several views, and where,

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational View of the circulating whipstock assembly of the present invention illustrated in position after the drill bit has been released from the whipstock and has begun cutting a new hole,

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view of the valve mechanism of the present invention in position to supply lluid to the drill bit,

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2, but in position to supply uid to the whipstock,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of one element of the clutch, and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of another element of the clutch.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly 1o FIGURE l, the numeral 1l)` generally indicates the circulating whipstock assembly of the present invention and generally includes a conventional whipstock 12 having a. circulating passageway 13 therein to provide linid circulation from the upper end to the lower end of the whipstock, a drill pipe 14 to which the whipstock 12 is initially lreleasably secured by a conventional shear pin 11 through the whipstock collar 15 so that the whipstock 12 can be oriented in the well bore 16 and set in place, and a drill bit 18 which is connected to the lower end of the drill pipe 14, which after the whipstock 12 is set in place and released, is lowered and dellected by the whipstock to drill an offset well bore 20. Prior to setting whipstock 12, drill uid is pumped downwardly in the interior of the pipe 14 through the whipstock passageway 13 to clean out the bottom of the well bore. After the whipstock is set and the drill bit 18 moves downwardly, the fluid from the drill pipe 14 is then diverted from the whipstock 12 and supplied through a passageway in the drill bit 18 for conventional drilling operation.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, the valve mechanism of the present invention is best seen. Thus, the drill pipe 14 includes a rst iiuid passageway 22 from which drilling uid is supplied alternately to a second fluid passageway 24 which is adapted to be aligned with the uid passageway 13 in the whipstock 12 (FIGURE l), and to a third tluid passageway 26 which leads to and communicates with the drill bit 18 (FIGURE l) which is connected to the lower end of the drill pipe 14. The upper ends of the uid passageways 24 and 26 are provided with valve seatl inserts 2S and 30, respectively which are positioned nonaxially relative to the pipe 14.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3, a valve port closure means 32 is provided for alternately closing one and opening the other of the fluid passageways 24 and 26. Thus, closure means 32 may include four openings 34, 36, 38, and 40, and in which sealing means such as balls 44 and 42 are provided in openings 36 and 38, respectively. The valve closure means is rotatably secured to the pipe 14 such as by locking pins 46. Thus, the valve closure means 32 may be actuated merely by rotating the drill pipe 14.

The valve closure means 32 is initially positioned as shown in FIGURE 3 prior to the time that the whipstock is set. Thus opening 34 is in communication between uid passageways 22 and 24 to provide fluid to the whipstock 12, and at this time the ball 44 in the opening 36 would rest against the insert 30 which communicates with Huid passageway 26 so as to block fluid passage to the drill bit 18. When the valve closure means 32 is rotated a predetermined amount (FIGURE 2), for example 60 relative to the upper ends of the iluid passageways 24 and 26, the ball 42 in opening 38 will be aligned with the insert 28 thus blocking lluid passage to the whipstock 12, and the opening 40 will be in alignment with the top of uid passageway 26 thereby supplying uid to the drill lbit 18. Therefore, merely rotating the valve closure member 32 Irelative to the uid openings 24 and 26 alternately supplies uid from one passageway to the other and the sliding ball type contact provides a seal that will be easily opened, but will fully seal under the high pressures involved in the assembly.

However, in order to provide the rotative movement between the valve closure means 32 and the top of uid passageways 24 and 26 a rotatably movable mandrel 5() is provided in which the upper ends of the fluid passageways 24 and 26 are positioned. The mandrel 50 is connected through suitable connections to the drill bit 18 which when initially assembled rests against the face of the whipstock 12 in a generally non-rotatable contact so that rotation of the drill pipe 14 will rotate the valve closure means 32 relative to the mandrel 50 for purposes of moving the closure means 32 from one position to another to change the uid ow.

However, a clutch is provided which while allowing rotation of the mandrel I) relative to the valve 32 so that uid ow can be changed from the whipstock 12 to the drill bit 18 the clutch will then engage for purposes of rotating the drill bit and drilling the new well bore 20. Referring now to FIGURES 2, 4, and 5, in order to transmit rotative force from the drill pipe 14 to the drill bit 18, but still allow for relative movement between the mandrel 50 and the valve closure means 32 to actuate the fluid valve a clutch mechanism is best seen. Thus, a lower clutch element 52 is provided which is suitably connected to the mandrel 50 such as by keys 54. An upper clutch element 56 is provided the upper end of which is connected to the pipe 14 and rotatably encloses the top portion of the mandrel 5i). The upper element 56 includes one or more arcuate openings 58 interiorally of the lower end or the element 56 which receive and coact with interiorally positioned arcuate lugs 6i) on the lower element 52. It is to 'be noted that the openings 58 are larger than the lugs 60 which they receive thereby providing a predetermined amount of slack or play in the clutch. The amount of slack or play in the clutch is equal to, in angular degrees, the amount of rotation required by the valve closure means 32 for moving from a first position to a second position. That is, when the lugs 60 are at their limit of travel in one direction in the recesses 58 the valve means 32 will be in one position such as in FIGURE 3, for supplying iiuid to the whipstock. However, when the pipe 14 and the upper element 56 are rotated in a clockwise direction to the other extreme limit of travel whereby torque is being supplied through the clutch element to the drill bit the valve element 32 will be in a second position, FIGURE 2, supplying drill uid to the drill bit 18. Thus, the clutch cooperates with the valve means 32 to allow it to be rotatably moved for switching fluid from one passageway to the second, and also for transmitting drill pipe rotation to the drill bit when the drill bit is being supplied with iluid.

The clutch elements 52 and 56 are held in a longitudinal assembled relationship by any suitable means such as lock nuts 62 and 64. It is also noted that the clutch mechanism is spaced from all iiuid passageways and from the uid in the well bore thereby preventing debris from blocking operation of the clutch.

An opening 66 is provided in the lower clutch element 62 whereby a shear pin 69 may be inserted therein and connected to the whipstock 12 for initially holding the clutch and thus the valve mechanism 32 in the position shown in FIGURE 3 when the tool is initially assembled thereby insuring that initially the fluid circulation will be to the whipstock when the assembly is rst run into the well bore.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, a conventional threaded hole 68 is also provided in the assembly 10 for connection of the usual solid steel shear pin 11 which releasably locks the whipstock to the drill pipe 14. In addition, as best seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, a spacer screw 70 is provided in the whipstock collar opposite the hole 68 for screwing up against a flat surface 72 on the pipe thereby initially preventing rotation of the pipe relative to the whipstock which might cause premature shearing of the shear pin 11 in hole 68, including the whipstock to the drill pipe 14. That is, with the aid of screw 70, it is possible to drill out bridges and bottom hole ll without the danger of shearing the shear pin in hole 68 by rotation. In addition, the spacer screw 70 pushes the fluid passageway 24 up against the whipstock in alignment with the tluid passageway in the whipstock so that an O-ring 74 will securely seal the uid thereto.

In operation, the circulating whipstock 12 is made up and connected to the drill pipe 14 with the drill bit 18 resting against the face ofthe whipstock 12 by connecting a shear pin 11 from the whipstock and threading it into opening 68 in the assembly 10 as is conventional. In addition, a spacer screw 70 (FIGURE 1) is screwed in the whipstock collar against a at 72 (FIGURES 2 and 3) at a point opposite the shear pin opening 68 to securely press the passageway 24 against the whipstock to coact with the passageway 13 in the whipstock and securely seal the passageway by the O-ring 74 and to allow rotation of the drill bit without shearing the usual shear pin in hole 68 by rotation.

Also in making up the assembly the valve port closure means 32 is positioned as shown in FIGURE 3 with the opening 34 positioned above the uid passageway 24 to provide a :Huid communication from the drill pipe 14 to the whipstock 12. In order to insure that the valve closure means 32 will remain in this position until the proper time,

a soft steel pin locking pin 69 is connected in the opening 66 in the lower clutch element 52 and to the whipstock with the clutch elements 52 and S6 positioned such that the valve 32 is in the whipstock circulating position. Thus, the whipstock and the assembly 10 may be suitably positioned down hole while circulation is accomplished from the pipe 12 to the circulating whipstocl; until the whipstock is suitably oriented and spudded in. After it is set the releasable shear pin connecting the whipstock 12 to the drill pipe 14 and the releasable locking pin 69 are sheared whereby the drill pipe and drill bit 18 may be moved downwardly relative to the whipstock. Thereafter right hand rotation of the drill pipe 14, since the drill bit 18 will be held against the face of the whipstock, will cause the mandrel 50 to move relative to the valve closure means 32 until, as best seen in FGURE 3, the ball 42 in the opening 38 will shift over and close the top of the fiuid passageway 24, and the opening 40 will be shifted over and open the top of fluid passageway 26 allowing uid circulation from the drill pipe 14 to the drill bit 18. That is, the clutch elements S2 and 56 allow the upper element S6 to rotate clockwise an amount equal to shift the valve means 32 from its first whipstock circulating position to its second drill bit circulating position before the lugs 60 are engaged in the upper element 56 after which further movement between the mandrel G and the valve element 32 is prevented. Therefore, any further rotation on the pipe 14 will transmit torque to the drill bit 18 for drilling purposes, and the valve 32 will remain in its second position for supplying liuid to the passageway 26 and the drill bit 18.

The present invention, therefore, is well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as others inherent therein. While a presently preferred embodiment of the invention is given for the purpose of disclosure, numerous changes in the details of construction, and arrangement of parts may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a drill pipe having first fluid passageway, a whipstock releasably connecting to the pipe and having a second fiuid passageway, a drill bit connected to the end of the pipe and having a third uid passageway, the improvement in a valve mechanism for supplying iiuid from the first passageway alternately to the second and third passageways comprising,

a first port secured to the bit in communication between the first passageway and the second passageway,

a econd port secured to the bit in communication between the first passageway and the third passageway,

valve port closure means connected to the pipe and in a first rotatable position closing the first port and opening the second port and in a second rotatable position opening the first port and closing the second port, and

a rotatable clutch connected between the pipe and the bit allowing a rotative movement equal in amount to the rotative movement to rotate said port closure means from said first position to the second position whereby the fluid from the first passageway may be alternately directed to the second and third passageways on rotation of the pipe.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including,

a shearable locking pin connected between the clutch and the whipstock initially thereby preventing accidental change of circulation.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein,

the rotatable clutch is spaced from the fluid passageways and from the exterior of the pipe thereby preventing debris from blocking said clutch.

4. In a drill pipe having a fluid passageway and a whipstock releasably connected to the pipe by a shear pin and having a second fluid passageway, a drill bit connected to the end of the pipe and having a third fluid passageway in communication therewith, the improvement in a valve mechanism for supplying fiuid from the first passageway alternately to the second and third passageways comprising,

a first valve port in communication between the first and second passageways,

a second valve port in communication between the first passageway and the second passageway,

said first and second ports each having one end positioned nonaXially relative to the pipe,

valve port closure means connected to the pipe and having first, second, third and fourth openings, the first and second openings being in communication between the first passageway and the first and second ports when the closure means is in a first rotatable position relative to the ports, and the third and fourth openings being in communication between the first passageway and the first and second ports when the closure means is in a second rotatable position relative to the ports, said valve closure means including a ball in said third opening and a ball in said second opening for seating on said and sealing said ports when in alignment with said ports, and

a rotatable clutch connected between the valve closure means and said ports allowing rotation movement between the valve closure means and said ports in an amount to provide movement of said closure means from said first rotatable position to the second rotatable position.

5. The apparatus of claim l including,

a spacer screw positioned between the whipstock and the pipe opposite said shear pin, and

a flat surface on said pipe coacting wih said spacer pin for initially preventing rotation of the whipstock relative to said pipe.

6. In a drill pipe having a fluid passageway and a drill bit connected to the end of the pipe, a whipstock releasably connected to the pipe by a shear pin and including a second fiuid passageway, the combination with the above of,

a first valve port in said pipe in communication between the rst and second passageways and movable with the bit,

a second valve port in said pipe in communication between the first passageway and the drill bit and movable with the bit,

valve port closure means connected to the pipe and in a first rotatable position closing the first port and opening the second port and in a second rotatable position opening the first port and closing the second port,

a rotatable clutch connected between the pipe and the bit allowing rotation of the port closure between the first and second rotatable positions,

a flat surface on said pipe opposite said shear pin, and

a spacer screw positioned between the whipstock and the pipe for contacting said fiat surface for initially preventing rotation of the whipstock relative to the pipe and for securely holding the pipe against the whipstock for sealing the communication of the first port with the second passageway.

7. In a drill pipe having a first iiuid passageway and a drill bit connected to the end of the pipe, a whipstock having a collar which is releasably connected to the pipe by a shear pin and including a second fluid passageway and valve means for supplying fluid from said first fluid passageway alternately to the drill bit and to the second iiuid passageway, the improvement comprising,

a screw connected to the whipstock collar and extending inwardly toward said pipe, and

7 a flat surface on said pipe initially positioned in the collar to be contacted by said screw for initially providing rotation of the whipstock with the pipe without shearing the shear pin whereby the whipstock may be rotated for drilling.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re.20,398 6/1937 Keever 175-83 8 Trotter 175-83 Denning et a1 175-83 X Neal 175-83 X McCune et al 175-83 Anderson l66-117.5

Smithson 175-83 X Warner et al 175-82 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

9/ 1924 Lewis 175-241 X l0 TAN A. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner. 

